In 5e, druids are proficient with exactly 10 weapons: clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, and spears. That’s the full list.
The class also grants proficiency with light armor, medium armor, and shields. Druids won’t wear armor or use shields made of metal, though. That restriction applies to armor and shields only, not to the weapon list itself.
What Weapons Can Druids Equip?
Druids can equip any weapon they’re proficient with. The table below breaks them down by type and range so you can see your options at a glance.
| Weapon | Type | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Simple Melee | Melee | Ash or oak wood; cheap and flavorful |
| Dagger | Simple Melee | Melee / Thrown | Finesse; works with Dex builds |
| Dart | Simple Ranged | Ranged | Finesse; light thrown option |
| Javelin | Simple Melee | Melee / Thrown | Good thrown range for a simple weapon |
| Mace | Simple Melee | Melee | Solid damage; similar to cleric flavor |
| Quarterstaff | Simple Melee | Melee | Versatile; oak or ash; druid staple |
| Scimitar | Martial Melee | Melee | Only martial weapon on the list; finesse |
| Sickle | Simple Melee | Melee | Yew handles mentioned in official flavor text |
| Sling | Simple Ranged | Ranged | Only ranged non-thrown option |
| Spear | Simple Melee | Melee / Thrown | Versatile; thrown option available |
Your starting equipment choices reinforce this list directly. At character creation you pick either a wooden shield or any simple weapon, then either a scimitar or any simple melee weapon. The game nudges you toward the scimitar or a simple melee backup from level 1.
What Weapon Is Best for Druids?
The scimitar is generally the strongest single option because it’s a finesse martial weapon. You can use your Dexterity modifier instead of Strength. That matters a lot for druids, who often prioritize Wisdom for spellcasting and may not invest heavily in Strength.
The quarterstaff is the other common pick. It’s versatile, so you can use it two-handed for a d8 damage die. The official flavor text specifically calls out oak and ash as ideal woods for hafts or whole weapons like quarterstaffs. If you’re playing a more melee-forward subclass, the quarterstaff two-handed gives you respectable damage without needing martial proficiency.
Realistically though, most druids are casting spells the majority of the time.
Weapon choice matters most at low levels before your spell slots feel abundant. By mid-tier play, your weapon is often just something to hold while you decide which spell to cast next.
Can Druids Use Metal Weapons in 5e?
This is where the rules are actually more permissive than most players assume. The official restriction says druids won’t wear armor or use shields made of metal. That language applies specifically to armor and shields, not to weapons.
The weapon proficiency list itself has no stated metal restriction. A mace, for example, is typically a metal-headed weapon, and it’s right there on the druid’s proficiency list with no caveat. The official class text doesn’t add a blanket prohibition on metal weapons anywhere in the proficiency section.
By the rules as written in the 2014 Player’s Handbook, a druid can use a metal-headed mace or a metal-bladed scimitar without violating any class rule. The metal restriction is about armor and shields only. Some tables house-rule a broader metal prohibition for flavor reasons, and that’s a valid table rule. It’s just not the default rule.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised the druid class, so the exact 2024 weapon proficiency list and any changes to the metal restriction should be checked against the updated class text.
Can a Druid Use a Scythe?
No, not by default. A scythe isn’t listed anywhere in the druid’s weapon proficiencies. Even if your table uses it as a homebrew or reskinned weapon, a druid would need a specific feature, feat, or DM ruling to be proficient with it.
It’s a common misconception because sickles are on the list and a scythe looks like a big sickle. The two are treated as separate things. If you want the harvesting-tool aesthetic, the sickle is your official option. The official flavor text even calls out yew wood as the material for sickle handles, which leans into that nature-connected imagery.
If your DM allows it, picking up a scythe without proficiency means you can still swing it. You just don’t add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll. That’s a significant penalty, especially at lower levels.
The Wood Lore Behind the Weapon List
The official class text ties specific woods to specific weapons. Ash and oak are associated with life and strength respectively, and both make excellent hafts or whole weapons like clubs and quarterstaffs. Yew is specifically called out as the wood for scimitar and sickle handles.
This is purely flavor, not a mechanical restriction. It’s a nice detail for roleplaying a druid who actually crafts or cares for their own weapons, though. It also connects to the broader druid identity around natural materials, which is the same instinct behind the metal armor restriction. If you’re building a character with strong nature-worship themes, this kind of detail can matter as much as the stat block.
My Table Experience
I have not had a druid player push this exact question at my table, but I would keep it pretty simple. A scythe-style weapon would be fine with me as long as we used the stats of an existing weapon and treated the rest as flavor. For the metal restriction, I would talk it through with the player instead of turning it into a gotcha.